لَعَمرُ أَبيكَ لا أَلقى اِبنَ عَمٍّ

لَعَمرُ أَبيكَ لا أَلقى اِبنَ عَمٍّ

عَلى الحَدَثانِ خَيراً مِن بَغيضِ

عَلى الحَدَثانِ خَيراً مِن بَغيضِ

By your father's life, I find no cousin

By your father's life, I will not find a cousin's son

better than Baghīḍ amid time's vicissitudes,

Better than Baghdad upon the two meadows

أَقَلُّ مَلامَةً وَأَعَزُّ نَصراً

أَقَلُّ مَلامَةً وَأَعَزُّ نَصراً

إِذا ما جِئتَ بِالأَمرِ المَريضِ

إِذا ما جِئتَ بِالأَمرِ المَريضِ

less reproachful and stronger in support,

Of less blame and more glorious victory

when you come with an ailing affair.

When you bring me troubling news

كَساني حِلَّةً وَحَبا بِعِنسٍ

كَساني حِلَّةً وَحَبا بِعِنسٍ

أَبُسُّ بِها إِذا اِضطَرَبَت غُروضي

أَبُسُّ بِها إِذا اِضطَرَبَت غُروضي

He clothed me in fine garments and gave me a sturdy she-camel;

Like a robe and love for an ear of wheat

I gently urge her on when my saddle-girths shake,

I grasp when my poems are disturbed

غَداةَ جَنى بَنِيَّ عَلَيَّ جُرماً

غَداةَ جَنى بَنِيَّ عَلَيَّ جُرماً

وَكَيفَ يَدايَ بِالحَربِ العَضوضِ

وَكَيفَ يَدايَ بِالحَربِ العَضوضِ

on the morning my sons committed a crime against me—

The morning the crimes of my tribe against me occurred

and how could my two hands face a biting war?

And how can my hands deal with difficult war

فَقَد سَدَّ السَبيلَ أَبو حُمَيدٍ

فَقَد سَدَّ السَبيلَ أَبو حُمَيدٍ

كَما سَدَّ المُخاطَبَةَ اِبنُ بيضِ

كَما سَدَّ المُخاطَبَةَ اِبنُ بيضِ

For Abū Ḥumayd has barred the way,

For Abu Humaid has blocked the way

as Ibn Bayḍ barred communication.

As the son of Bayd blocked addressing me

فِإِن تَمنَع سُهولَ الأَرضِ مِنّي

فِإِن تَمنَع سُهولَ الأَرضِ مِنّي

فَإِنّي سالِكٌ سُبُلَ العَروضِ

فَإِنّي سالِكٌ سُبُلَ العَروضِ

So if you withhold the earth's plains from me,

If the easy roads of earth are denied me

then I shall follow the mountain paths.

Then I will take the paths of verse